


i'll crawl home to her|p.sy

by jichicken



Category: Red Velvet (K-pop Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mythology, Angst, F/F, Fluff, Happy Ending, Kpop x Greek mythology is a niche I'll be honest, Minor changes to the story, Mythology References, Originally Posted on Wattpad, Orpheus and Eurydice, Ovid's version, References to Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Suicide, Title from Hozier's Work Song
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:42:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25537495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jichicken/pseuds/jichicken
Summary: The story of Orpheus and Eurydice, wherein the reader is Orpheus and Sooyoung is Eurydice.
Relationships: Park Sooyoung | Joy/Reader
Kudos: 9





	i'll crawl home to her|p.sy

**Author's Note:**

> Explanation of Greek mythology terms:  
> Hymenaeus - God of marriage ceremonies/Orpheus' brother  
> Apollo - a God/Orpheus' father  
> Pieria - where Mt Olympus is and where the Muses and Orpheus lived  
> Elysium - section of the Underworld where the greatest people go   
> Hades - God of the Underworld  
> Mourning Fields - section of the Underworld where those hurt by love go to  
> Styx - river at the entrance of the Underworld  
> Coins under the tongue - payment for entry to the Underworld  
> Charon - boatman who delivers souls to the Underworld

Even though you knew you'd hear her before you could see her, you still always looked out for her. Your fingers would cup the cool marble of the building's corner, head peeking around it's sides with eyes transfixed on the point at which you knew she'd become visible. You'd shuffle your feet, anticipation consuming you as your ankle rhythmically nudged your lyre on the ground.

At last, after getting to the point where you thought you might as well just give up and go home, her laughter or chatter would float over to where you were hiding and the frustration of waiting would boil over into excitement. The feeling of eternity would disappear as soon as she appeared, looking impossibly beautiful no matter rain or shine - if it were windy her hair would blow back and frame her face, if it were sunny the light would sparkle in her eyes, if it were overcast the raindrops would shimmer on her tawny skin.

You'd watch as she glid along the path, allowing yourself one last look before she got to to the place where she'd be able to see you looking. Then, you'd grab your lyre and hop onto the wall, starting to softly play something on your instrument, toes curling as you waited for her to approach.

"Hi, (Y/n)!."

You looked up from playing with a nonchalant smile, acting as if you hadn't seen her coming, "Hey, Sooyoung!" You'd greet her, before nodding at Minji and Jiyeong.

This is how it always went, Sooyoung and her sisters would stay to chat with her and you'd act as though you'd been sat on the wall playing music all day instead of waiting for her.

It was ridiculous really, you were Apollo's daughter, the only person fit to posses his lyre, playing melodies that could tame beasts and sedate enemies. You were supposed to move the world with your music, yet here you were, being moved by a mortal. Still, you loved her so much that the turning of power bothered you none.

After a little small talk, her sisters would politely make their leave. As soon as they were out of sight, you would abandon your seat on the wall and you and Sooyoung would collapse into each other, relieved to finally be close. You'd been lovers for many months, yet this moment never failed to be the best of your day.

After embracing for as long as you needed to, you'd withdraw and immediately come back together again, lips meeting and moving against each other, hands desperately trailing up onto each other's napes, waists, hair.

When you'd finally satisfied your aching for each other's touch, you parted and you turned to pick up your lyre to play something to Sooyoung. At first, you'd been shy about sharing your talent with people, not wanting to come across as boastful, but Sooyoung had asked you play for her and you could not say no. Soon, it had become a daily occurrence and she no longer had to prompt you - you just picked up your lyre and played a song, basking in the warmth from Sooyoung's adoring gaze.

What type of song you played differed - sometimes it was a lullaby from your childhood or a popular folk song you knew Sooyoung loved, but more often than not it was something you'd written about her.

Today, it was the latter. You began to play the melody on your lyre and sung it's poetic lyrics. At once, Sooyoung's rich eyes became golden, their brown colour holding the feeling of nourishment and life, like the soil of their hue.

However, as the song continued, her gaze became watery and her forehead crumpled with the weight of holding back tears. You noticed and your playing became uncertain, words faltering a little as you wondered whether or not to continue, until Sooyoung burst into tears and you dropped your lyre, rushing over to console her.

She sobbed into your shoulder and you stroked the hair out of her tear-stained face, one arm encircling her waist to pull her close. You stayed silent as she cried out all of her tears.

Once she had, you pulled away so you were an arm's length apart.

"My father wants me to marry the eldest Kim sister." Sooyoung had blurted out the answer to your question before you'd had the chance to ask it.

Her eyes refilled with fresh tears as you took a blow to your pounding heart, "Does this mean we have to..." You let your words trail off, Sooyoung's sniffles filling the silence.

"No! I want to marry you and I'm going to." Her words were filled with conviction but her voice cracked in the middle.

You cocked your head, asking your question with your eyes. She knitted her eyebrows together, chin tilted up to look at the sky. Then, the wrinkles in her forehead smoothed out and her eyebrows lifted in delight.

"We can run away. Your brother can bless the marriage."

Hope bloomed in your chest. The tears in Sooyoung's eyes gave way to a look of determination.

"I want to marry you and I'm going to." She repeated, her voice resolute and unwavering this time.

You smiled, using one finger to wipe away the last of the tears glistening on Sooyoung's face, and pressed a kiss to her forehead, "Then we will."

Standing up from where you were crouching, you offered your hand to Sooyoung and carefully helped her up. You intertwined your fingers with hers and gave her hand a gentle squeeze, beginning to lead her around the deserted courtyard in which you always took your daily walks. However, unlike every other day, you didn't just amble around, exchanging anecdotes and kisses. Instead, you planned your marriage. But it didn't go as smoothly as you had hoped.

Sooyoung was insistent, no matter your attempts at persuasion, that you had to run away and marry that night.

"Sooyoung, we can talk to your father, we can make him understand."

No!" She wrenched her hand from your grip and turned so that she was opposite you, "If we stay here my father will tear us apart."

"But - your life is here. Your family is here. I don't want you to leave all of that behind for me."

Her expression became overwhelmed with emotion, and her voice took on a tone you'd never heard her use before, "I would walk out of Elysium if you weren't there with me."

Shaken by the passion in her eyes and words, you relented, "Okay." You paused for quite a time, wondering where you could go to, "We can go to Pieria, where my mother lives."

If Sooyoung noticed the hesitation in your voice she didn't make it known.

"Will your parents care?"

"Definitely not."

She smiled, "Good."

You squeezed her palm again, meeting her gaze with your own smile. You continued your walk in silence until you reached the entrance of the courtyard, where you stopped.

It was an unspoken rule that once you had walked around the yard once, you would allow yourselves one final kiss, before parting. As soon as you exited the gates you'd always walk in the opposite direction to each other, making sure to not look back.

However, today you lingered. Sooyoung turned so that you were standing opposite her and grabbed the hand that wasn't already intertwined with her's.

She looked down at your joined palms for a moment before lifting one of your hands and grazing her lips against your knuckles, meeting your eyes as she did.

"Meet me back here, at midnight."

You nodded, eyes flashing with excitement at the thought of what you were about to do.

"See you at midnight. I love you."

Sooyoung pressed a gentle kiss to your cheek, "I love you too."

She slipped out of the yard's gates, turning to blow you a kiss before she rounded the corner and disappeared from your sight.

You looked up at the sun, judging that you had about four hours until midnight. Even though you had plenty of time, the adrenaline in your body made you break into a sprint that didn't stop until you got back to the villa you'd been staying at since travelling to Sooyoung's village.

You rushed around your house, gathering all of the essentials you'd need for your journey and piling them into the leather bag your mother had gifted you when you'd first moved away.

Once you had finished packing, you decided it was time to call on your brother. You ran in circles around the house, calling his name over and over until he appeared in front of you.

"(Y/n)!" Hymenaeus greeted you with a delighted expression, "I haven't seen you in so long."

You struggled to introduce the subject of you and Sooyoung as he started to ramble on. Only half-listening to his words, you tapped your foot as you waited for him to finish talking.

Finally, you managed to steer the conversation to the reason why you had summoned him, "Hymenaeus, I'm really happy to see you too, but I did call you here because I have a pretty urgent issue I need help with."

His posture straightened immediately, "Oh, right, of course. What is it?"

"Well, I'm getting married to this girl and I wanted you to bless the marriage."

"When are you marrying?"

"Tomorrow."

Hymenaeus' eyes widened and his voice raised in pitch, "Tomorrow?"

You nodded, "We need to."

"Okay, I trust your judgement. Who is she?"

"Park Sooyoung."

He was about to cheerfully answer, mouth already curling into a smile, when his face darkened suddenly.

Shaken by his unusual demeanour, you immediately questioned him, "Hy? What is it?"

"(Y/n)." He paused, clearly unsure of how to articulate what he wanted to say, "If you continue with this relationship with Sooyoung, it's perfection won't last."

His words were a fist to your stomach.

"What do you mean. Are you were saying we should-" You paused, working up the courage to say it, "We should call our marriage off? And break up?"

He sighed, stumbling over his words as he answered, "Well- no, only you can decide what to do. And my predictions aren't always right."

His words did little to soothe you.

"Our relationship isn't even perfect now." You lamely tried to reassure yourself.

Hymenaeus shook his head, "Be careful when dealing with happiness you don't even know you have, (Y/n)."

And then, he disappeared. The silence that followed his departure left unease crawling around your whole body.

By the time you were done getting ready and were sat under the midnight sky at the courtyard gate, your excitement had been completely extinguished.

"You ready, (Y/n)?"

Sooyoung's voice behind you made you twist to meet her gaze.

You stood up, "Yeah."

The two of you hugged in greeting. Sooyoung was the first to pull away.

"Did you call on your brother?"

You knew it was time to resolve the mental argument you'd been having with yourself ever since you'd heard your brother's sinister warning.

Should you tell her truth? Should you break up with her? Cause suffering to you both?

Or should you choose to gamble on the chance Hymenaeus was wrong? Throw in everything you have just for the hope that you have a beautiful life?

With a wrench of guilt, you opted for the latter.

"Yes, he gave us his blessing."

Sooyoung couldn't contain her excitement, a luminous grin lighting up her face.

She pulled you in for a kiss, barely able stop smiling for a few seconds. As soon as she had pulled away, she enveloped you in a tight hug.

"(Y/n), we're getting married!"

You tried to match her enthusiasm, but your worries weighed heavily on you. Luckily, Sooyoung was too high strung to notice.

Her hand held yours with a vice grip as you climbed into the horse and carriage she'd stolen from her father.

It was midnight, but neither of you slept through the whole journey. Sooyoung was too excited to sleep and you were busy turning your brother's words over and over in your head.

When you arrived in Pieria, three hours later, Sooyoung immediately shoved a dress and veil in your hands - also stolen, from her mother's dress shop - and instructed you to put them on.

You struggled with the huge dress in such a tiny carriage, but eventually you put the garments on and exited the vehicle, looking for Sooyoung.

Panic bubbled in your throat when you couldn't see her.

"Sooyoung?" You yelled, sending birds slumbering in trees flying off in a frenzy.

"I'm over here, (Y/n)."

You whipped around, relief flooding you when you saw her standing in a patch of flowers, and hastily made your way over.

As soon as you were close enough to see her properly, in her wedding dress, your breath hitched.

She was surrounded by flowers, but she was far more beautiful than any of them. Her blushed skin so silken and smooth that even the most delicate jasmine would be jealous. Lips flushed a mellow pink that would put any rose to shame. Skin that glowed with more gentleness and beauty than a petal shimmering with dew.

Even though you'd been together for months, her ethereality struck you like it was the first time you'd looked at her.

Sooyoung tutted at you, breaking you out of your spellbound state, "You shouldn't be looking at your bride without her veil, it's not tradition."

You grinned, leaning over to kiss her, "I don't think much of what we're doing is tradition."

Amusement sparkled in her eye at your words as she turned to place her veil on her head. She held out one hand to you,

"Shall we get married, then?"

It would be impossible to conduct most of the marriage ceremonies, but both you and Sooyoung had decided earlier that you wanted to keep the burning of childhood possessions and the lifting of each other's veils.

You started with the former first. The two of you held hands as you threw your possessions into a blazing fire - you chose a wooden doll and Sooyoung opted for her favourite dress as a child.

Then, in front of the warm flames, you turned to each other. Sooyoung lifted your veil first, and your heart twisted as you saw her mouthing "You're beautiful" through her own lace.

After kissing her knuckle, you lifted Sooyoung's veil. As soon as the material was over her head, she kissed you with such firmness and passion that you forgot all of your worries.

When you pulled away, your arms went to her waist and you started to dance without any music, other than your hums and giggles, the sounds punctuated by kisses.

You spent hours in peace, enjoying each other's company by the crackling fire.

Soon, some forest nymphs happened upon you and joined in with your dancing. However, your feet had become sore and, after giving her one last kiss, you left Sooyoung and sat on an uprooted log, where you blissfully watched your lover.

You lazily picked up your lyre and started to mindlessly strum, but you quickly managed to form a song that fit with the rhythm of their dancing. Finally relaxed, you continued playing, half-asleep.

Suddenly, a flicker of black caught your eye. Your playing faltered a little as you tried you locate it.

The flicker happened again, next to Sooyoung's ankle and you woke up completely, the playing of your lyre forgotten. You squinted at it, trying to figure of what it was, when it rose up out of the ground.

Your heart leapt when you realised it was a snake.

You didn't even have time to warn her before it struck. All you could do was watch in horror as it sunk it's teeth into Sooyoung's skin, making her plummet to the ground.

The nymphs scattered and, in all of the commotion, the snake disappeared too. But you didn't even notice, too busy shakily getting up from your seat, your lyre falling from your grip and hitting the floor with a thud, and running over to Sooyoung's body.

You knew she was dead as soon as you saw her. Her open and soulless eyes, gaping mouth and already paling skin told you everything you needed to know.

Nevertheless, mindless hope made you drop to your knees next to her and press your head to her chest and place your fingers under her nose. Mindless hope made you repeat what you were doing, again and again, in case you hadn't heard the heartbeat, or felt her breath.

It wasn't until hours later, when not even hope could lie to you anymore, that you finally accepted the truth.

Sooyoung was dead.

And then you screamed and sobbed and shrieked, until your vocal chords had worn down. And you punched the floor until there were bruises lining your fingers. And you hugged her corpse to your body until your brother, shaking his head in pity and disappointment, found you and took you home.

-timeskip-

Your head was in your mother's lap, tears flowing endlessly out of your eyes, forming hot trails down your cheeks and soaking her skirt. She carded one hand through your hair, her touch relaxing against your aching head, but doing nothing to comfort your grief.

"I think you should try eating some food now, (N/n)." Her gentle reprimanding tugged you out of your spacey mood.

You screwed your eyes shut, "I feel too sick."

"You'd feel better if you ate something."

When it was obvious you weren't going to give a reply, she continued, "Please, love, for me?"

You craned your head up to meet her gaze, remorse weighing in your stomach when you saw the concern furrowing her beautiful features, "Okay,"

"Good girl."

She planted a kiss on your forehead, before carefully moving your head off her lap and onto a pillow. You buried your head in the plush material wetting it with your tears.

A few minutes later, you heard some movement in the room and, assuming it was your mother coming back, you lifted your head up from the pillow.

Ire flooded your body when you saw that the sounds were caused by the last person you wanted to see, Hades, and you immediately cast your gaze back down.

"Why are you here, did my father send you?"

He moved a little closer and you flinched away

"I've come to make you an offer."

Hope made you look up, as much as it disgusted you.

"I want to help you see Sooyoung again."

The mention of her name, especially coming from her taker, pierced your chest and you replied with vitriol stinging your tone, "If this is some joke, or endless quest that's going to fail, leave now and don't waste my time."

Hades ignored your anger, "Sooyoung is in Elysium, but when you die you will go to the Mourning Fields and you will be seperated for eternity."

You gritted your teeth, and spoke through them, "I know."

Again he brushed you aside, "However, I know a way that you can get her back."

Your posture straightened and you sat up, a slight fuzzy feeling spinning in your head as you did.

"I can deliver you to the mouth of the Styx. Sooyoung will appear behind you and you can walk out of the underworld together, but only if you don't look back at her. If you do, you will be pulled back to earth and she will go back to Elysium and you will be condemned to your fate forever, no second chances."

You immediately opened your mouth to agree, but Hades stopped you with one hand.

"Don't assume this an easy task, the underworld does not let people leave easily. Retrieving Sooyoung will be the most arduous journey of your life. Consider your answer carefully"

Your mind pretended to think, but deep down you already knew your answer. How could you not say yes, when, as soon as Hades had arrived, the baseless hope found only in grief had made your decision for you?

You took a deep breath in, feeling truly hopeful for the first time since your lover's death, "I'll do anything to get Sooyoung back."

Without hesitation, you took Hades' now outstretched hand. The colours of your mother's room swirled around you, as black gradually overtook them until you were surrounded by the abyss of the underworld.

You landed firmly on two feet, dark hues flickering menacingly around you.

Keeping your eyes trained forwards, you tried to feel for Sooyoung's spirit around you but were unable to. Confused, you looked up to Hades.

"She'll come as soon as I leave. Remember, don't look behind you until you've left the underworld."

He let go of your hand and disappeared.

Then you felt a glowing presence behind you and you knew it was Sooyoung.

The urge to look was monstrous. It was the kind of desperate, dreadful, agonising need that was only felt by those who had grieved for the one they loved most. And it pulled and tugged and tore at every fibre of your being until you were almost screaming with the weight of it all. But you began to trudge ahead, telling yourself one foot in front of the other over and over. 'Keep going, keep moving, keep looking forward'.

An eternity passed but the light of the end was not yet in sight. You could feel her presence behind you grow with every step and it only added to the temptation. Every few seconds, your head drifted to the left, subconsciously straining to see her, before you snapped it forward again. Your self control withered a little more each time.

Another eternity later, you were doubled over, your body folding under pain so intense it was ineffable. Behind you, Sooyoung had grown to feel chillingly powerful.

You could still not see the end. But you were weak, so weak, from all you had endured and it was getting increasingly more difficult to stop your wandering head. The urge to turn, to see her and meet her gaze after so long, was running rampant in your chest and it was beginning to feel to you like a need. Something more intrinsic to your survival than breathing.

Your head creaked to the left just as the last whispers of your self control fell away.

And so you turned.

And your heart wrenched with the terrifying beauty of standing in front of your lover after being without her for so long, and losing her forever in the same breath. 

You reached your hand out just as Sooyoung also stretched out her arm, your fingers missing each other by an inch. Despair clenched in your chest as the two of you strained but were stopped by some invisible force pulling you both away from each other.

Then, there was a terrible rumbling sound, and the blackened sky began to fall down around you. The force became stronger, contorting your body, as it dragged you upwards, while pulling Sooyoung down.

You shrieked, hand still weakly grasping at nothing as you watched her figure disappear into the aphotic depths until she was no longer visible.

You hit the ground as a pile of limbs with a sharp thud of pain. Fingers clutching at the mud, you sobbed into the grass.

"I'm sorry." You mumbled to no one.

Through the tears and the dirt, your cries became louder, until they had grown to screams of apology into the night sky.

-timeskip-

Your feet sank into the sand of the shores of Pieria, salty wind whistling through your matted and half damp hair. Misery had made your eyes sore and hollow, but the feeling was drowned out by the agonising concoction of shame and grief gnawing at your stomach.

You had failed.

Sooyoung was gone forever.

And yet, you knew exactly what you needed to do.

You placed two coins under your tongue, and then, hunched over, you ambled to where the sea and the sand met. The waves gently blanketed the skin of your toes and you lifted up your arm so that your lyre was no longer grazing your ankles. You began to play the song that you had played on the night that Sooyoung had danced with the nymphs, before your life had been destroyed by the cruelty of fate.

The strings of your lyre soothing you, you closed your eyes and walked further into the ocean. The water rose to the hem of your dress, then your waist, then your chin, until a large wave rolled up and gently pulled you underwater, guiding you back to the underworld.

A few quiet minutes later, an ownerless lyre floated up to the surface of the sea and drifted back to shore.

-

Your eyes opened to a myriad of purple and blue hues and immediately you knew where you were. Shivering at the idea of being in the place where you had lost your lover for eternity, you turned, expecting to find Charon waiting to escort you to the gates of the underworld.

Your heart dropped as you saw Sooyoung standing there.

She held her arms out to you and you ran over, sighing as she enveloped you in a hug. You buried your face in her neck, welcoming the warmth of love that you hadn't felt in too long unfurling in your chest.

You pulled out of the hug, stepping back and looking at her, hands desperately trailing her face, her hair, her body, making sure she wasn't a grief-induced apparition.

When you knew she was real, you leaned in to kiss her, her lips blessing yours in a way you thought they never would again. The weight crushing your body lifted with the feel of her love cocooning you.

You pulled away, both arms falling to her waist. Eyes shining, your gazes poured into each other.

Sooyoung was the first to break the silence, "Hi."

The sound of her voice made you fall to your knees and burst into tears. Sooyoung crouched down next to you, encircling her arm around your shoulder and pulling you into her. You sobbed on her shoulder.

"Hey, it's okay. We're together now." Her voice was as gentle as the ocean that had carried you to her, but her words only made you cry harder.

"I'm - I'm sorry." You managed to force out.

"Why, angel?"

You looked at her with regret swimming among the tears, "I couldn't save you. I couldn't take you home."

"I forgave you as soon as our eyes met."

You closed your eyes and bowed your head slightly, "Thank you, thank you."

She lifted your chin up and placed a finger to your lips, stopping the whispers leaving your mouth like a prayer, "Thank you, for paying the ultimate sacrifice to be down here with me."

You were struck with a swell of emotion quivering in your chest and you lifted your arm up from her waist to gently stroke her hair, keeping your focus on her glowing expression.

But then a thought dawned on you and your hand stopped dead where it was, "Why are you not in Elysium? Hades said..."

Sooyoung giggled, a smile glinting in her eyes, "Don't you remember, darling? I told you, I would walk out of there if you weren't with me."

Your heart jumped, "You left paradise ... to be with me?"

She hugged your waist with one hand and delicately traced her fingers around your face with the other, staring at you with the adoring gaze of a devotee.

"I didn't leave paradise, she's standing right in front of me."


End file.
